Zazo Aguiar, an experienced designer and animator, was hired by Mauricio de Sousa Produções, a 50-year-old comics business in Brazil, to modernize and streamline the company’s operations. The company, with a workforce of 500, comprised of designers, inkers, writers, and illustrators, who collaborated to create animation for television, toys, and licensing. However, the company was grappling with increasingly tighter deadlines, limited production capacity, and the physical storage space required to store the finished pencil art and artwork. The traditional method of creating characters using pencil and then paying an inker to add the finishing color was proving to be time-consuming and costly. The need for a solution that could automate the design process, increase production, reduce costs, and eliminate the need for physical storage space was evident.

Engineered Systems Incorporated (ESI), a small Canadian company, designs, prototypes, and manufactures specialized integrated electronic systems for both small innovative companies and large blue-chip clients. However, to compete with larger engineering firms and win the business of companies like Co-Generation Systems Inc., Ontario Public Works & Utilities, General Motors, Advantage Engineering, and many more, ESI needed a technical design software that was cost-effective and could integrate seamlessly into a number of other applications. The software needed to provide a complete design solution that could carry a product from initial concept to production. The challenge was to find a solution that would allow ESI to compete successfully with larger companies by finding time- and cost-saving efficiencies.

Kerr-McGee Corporation, a $14 billion independent energy and chemical company, is a global leader in oil and natural gas exploration. The company operates on six continents and serves customers in over 100 countries. The engineers at Kerr-McGee receive large amounts of geological data from surveys conducted worldwide. The challenge lies in converting this raw data into precise and useful geological maps. The responsibility of creating these maps falls on the shoulders of graphics supervisor Anthony Mata and his team of designers. The team needed a reliable, flexible, and efficient tool to handle the vast and diverse geological data and transform it into accurate maps. The tool also needed to be capable of exporting the maps in various formats and printing them directly to large-format plotters.

The University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz, with its 3,800 students, 130 professors, and 100 researchers, faced a significant challenge in terms of technical illustration software. Despite the importance of such software in various disciplines at the university, they had only a few licenses for Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite. This was particularly problematic in the field of analytical and bioanalytical chemistry, where the software was crucial for illustrating quantities and substances, making the invisible visible. Prof. Dr. Manfred Gey, a professor of analytical and bioanalytical chemistry, and his students often had to search for minuscule traces of substances, requiring the sensitivity of the analytical devices to measure a substance in parts per billion. The lack of sufficient software licenses hindered the efficiency and effectiveness of their work.

Accuphase Laboratories, a renowned Japanese manufacturer of high-end audio products, faced a challenge in maintaining the quality and consistency of their circuit board production while reducing research and development time cycles. The company operates in a specialized industry similar to the luxury car market, where product development is focused on innovative, high-quality design rather than low-cost production. Accuphase does not release a regular stream of new products like mainstream consumer electronics companies, but it does respond to customer needs by bringing new and innovative products to market as quickly as possible. This approach requires an extremely iterative design process based on sequential circuit refinement in response to both subjective and objective performance testing. As a result, many prototypes are built, tested, and auditioned through the development process, creating short, critical PCB design cycles for the Accuphase engineers.

Delkin Devices, a leading manufacturer of industrial storage products, had been using Altium Designer 2004 for five years. However, as electronics design evolved, the software was no longer meeting their design needs. The team at Delkin Devices recognized the need for an upgrade to keep up with the changing demands of their industry. The challenge was to find a solution that would not only meet their current needs but also provide a platform for future growth and development. The solution needed to be easy to implement, with a minimal learning curve, and be able to handle their existing project files.

DKB Resources, a successful electronics service bureau, has carved a niche in developing specialized Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) for organizations in the space and military industry. However, this commitment comes with a significant responsibility. The company must work within the strict requirements of its clients, design using specific sets of standards and guidelines, and ensure that its designs can withstand harsh environments like space. This necessitates a strong emphasis on quality, reliability, documentation, and good communication with clients. The company's work is checked by program managers, procurement managers, and administrative support managers, each with their own data requirements and document standards. This complex process is likened to being multilingual by Darya Bronston, President of DKB Resources. The company's line of work leaves no room for error, as people's lives could depend on the reliability of a design.

Simulation Technologies, Inc. (SimTech), a developer and manufacturer of advanced simulations for US military programs, was facing a significant challenge with its existing Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tool. The tool, which had been in use for approximately twenty years, was no longer capable of meeting SimTech’s Printed Circuit Board (PCB) needs due to declining product support and infrequent, insignificant upgrades. The company was under increasing market pressure to deliver smaller, more powerful technologies faster. SimTech needed a more sophisticated toolset that could deliver quick turnaround, comprehensive documentation, and parts management. However, as a supplier of military equipment, SimTech could not afford extensive downtime associated with toolset change. The new system had to be learned quickly, competently, and without error to maintain product integrity.

Monitoring Australia’s vast northern coastline is a crucial part of the country's national security program. However, the enormous area involved presents the challenge of detecting objects beyond the horizon. The Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) Jindalee Over The Horizon Radar (OTHR) system, near Alice Springs in central Australia, overcomes the normal range limitations caused by the earth's curvature by bouncing signals off the ionosphere using a series of antennas that stretch over 3.4 kilometres. BAE Systems Australia, a leading global defence company, supports the ongoing development of the super-sensitive Jindalee radar with advanced receiver and signal processing systems that help to extend the capabilities of the ADF’s Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN). However, creating these systems requires BAE Systems to remain at the cutting edge of HF radar technology, including the development of RF and high-speed data processing systems. Typical HF projects require up to 10-layer FR4 boards that comply with strict performance goals in both the analog and digital domain, necessitating advanced tools and design systems for the successful development of the OTHR subsystems.

Linn Products, a company renowned for its high-end audio systems, faced a significant challenge when it decided to update its flagship product, the Sondek LP12 turntable, which was originally developed in 1972. The company needed to incorporate a new phono stage, named Eureka, into the LP12, a task that seemed almost impossible given the constraints of the turntable's design. The aesthetics of the audio systems were also crucial for Linn Products, requiring the electronics to be as visually appealing as the external casings. Prior to this, Linn Products had been using a series of disparate tools for its electronic designs, which resulted in a lack of clear link between the schematic and the board layout. This led to engineers spending more time maintaining the tool than being creative, which was not conducive to the company's philosophy of 'music for life'.

The Systems Division of ITT Corporation, based in Colorado Springs, USA, is a prime contractor on the US defense program. The division is tasked with sustaining the service of operational systems through progressive re-engineering under the System Engineering and Sustainment Integrator (SENSOR) program. This program covers the Air Force Space Command’s worldwide network of Missile Warning, Missile Defense, and Space Surveillance systems. One of the key projects under this program is the re-engineering of signal processing systems in the AN/FPS-85 phased-array radar system based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The radar system, commissioned in the late 1960s, used cutting-edge technology of its time and offered unprecedented tracking capabilities and performance. The current re-engineering process aims to implement the latest technology and techniques to create signal processing electronics that will be at the cutting-edge when the system is commissioned in 2010. This forward-thinking development process places high demands on the ITT development team and the tools they use to create the new signal processing subsystems and operational software.

Danish Interpretation Systems (DIS), a company with over 50 years of experience in the communications and meeting industry, was faced with the challenge of developing the world’s first fully-digital conferencing system, the DCS 6000. The system was to handle the complexity of multi-language translations in real-time, with the ability to deliver 32 different language channels simultaneously and have eight active microphones in use at the same time. The system also needed to be fully expandable using LAN-based extension units. The design of the product was also a challenge as it had to be small enough to fit into the armrests of chairs or the legs of tables. The DCS 6000 required a high degree of design customization and power in the smallest possible enclosure.

Esterline Control Systems, Mason (ECS, Mason) is a company that develops flight controllers and other products for aerospace and military applications. These products are typically produced in small lots, such as 200 helicopters or 300 airplanes, which makes a full-custom design approach unfeasible. Instead, engineers modify existing standard product configurations to meet the needs of each customer. This process involves extensive iteration on the design, with design data being passed among teams and tools to meet the application's constraints. However, the company's original electrical design suite, based on OrCAD workstations, was inefficient. Importing and exporting design files to simulation, 3D modeling, and other analysis tools required a manual process that was slow and error-prone. The lack of integrated simulation and program management tools also hampered design and discouraged the exploration of design alternatives.

The Student Space Programs Laboratory (SSPL) at Pennsylvania State University provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to design, fabricate, and integrate real, working space systems. However, the design tool suite they were using, OrCAD, was proving to be a challenge. The system was slow and difficult to use, particularly for incoming undergraduates who were new to the field. The long learning curve and non-intuitive workflow resulted in frequent errors that had to be caught and corrected by more senior engineers. This was particularly problematic for the OSIRIS-3U CubeSat mission, a complex project that required system-level, electrical, and mechanical design efforts to create a compact satellite for studying space weather. The project was guided by three grad students and nearly 70 undergraduates, and the usability challenges of the design software were a significant obstacle to its completion.

Sanden Vendo America Inc., a Dallas-based company with over 60 years of experience in the design, manufacture, and sales of vending equipment, decided to take their business to the next level by incorporating electronic control in their vending machines. Three years ago, the company decided to move the electronic design part of its operation in-house, through the purchase of suitable schematic entry and PCB layout software. This decision was aimed at achieving faster design turn-around time, increased IP security, and tighter design control. However, this move also presented potential challenges such as the software’s learning curve, efficiency, and quality of technical support. To maintain its leading position in the vending machine industry, Sanden Vendo needed electronic design tools that would facilitate its innovative designs without introducing production delays or compromises in quality control.

Agilent-Qianfeng Electronics Technologies, a joint venture between Agilent Technologies and Chengdu Qianfeng Electronics, was established to tap into China's rapidly growing $200 billion electronics industry. The venture's R&D lab in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, needed highly productive electronics design software to produce valuable test and measurement (T&M) instrument research in the shortest possible time. The software's efficiency and quality were critical to achieving this goal, along with considerations such as cost and customer support. The lab was tasked with spearheading product R&D for the Agilent brand in the Chinese region, which required working to short development design cycles due to the local market's dynamic nature. The lab staff needed to become proficient in the development software tools quickly. While speed and efficiency were fundamental objectives, maintaining Agilent's reputation for accuracy and high reliability in their test instruments was also paramount, placing high demands on the software's accuracy and performance during the R&D phase.

CAS Tecnologia, a company specializing in intelligent automation and telemetry technology, was heavily reliant on outsourcing for critical parts of their product design process. This dependence on another company was a significant hindrance to their financial success and future growth potential. To continue growing in their industry, it became necessary for CAS to bring all of their design processes in-house for complete control and independence. The challenge was to integrate an electronics design process into their existing mechanical workflow. They needed a tool that offered a high degree of control between the electrical and mechanical elements of a design to ensure a correct fit. The products they were developing for the management and distribution of electricity, water, and gas required a high degree of electrical complexity, necessitating a very specific set of requirements from EDA software.

STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor manufacturer, designs ASICs that function as the brains inside the latest generations of hard-disk drives. A critical step in the ASIC production is testing and verification using a custom development board. Each ASIC needs its own development board, designed and manufactured in parallel with the chip. These boards connect the prototypes to the motherboard and the hard drive assembly so engineers can put the ASIC through its paces. Any delay in the production of the boards threatens the rollout of the chip, as well as the company's bottom line. Last year, STMicroelectronics produced 11 of these ASICs, each requiring its own custom development board for evaluation. Just two engineers were responsible for these boards, producing a new one nearly every month. The engineers had to manage parts library maintenance, schematic capture, simulation, system design, PCB layout, and generating manufacturing files. The hard drive assemblies are notoriously difficult for their odd mechanical clearance rules, adding an extra layer of complexity to the process.

Cornet Technology, a leading supplier of physical layer switching products for networks systems worldwide, faced a significant challenge in maintaining its industry-leading position. The company's extensive array of data switching and processing products required a high level of expertise from both Cornet’s engineers and the development tools they used. The typical boards designed by Cornet were large, involving 12 layers and around 2000 components with controlled impedance requirements and a high degree of circuit area duplication. The design times were short, typically two to three weeks, yet the final performance and reliability of the product - and therefore the PCB - had to be first rate. Cornet’s extensible designs demanded a high degree of flexibility from the development software, which also needed to produce concept-to-reality board designs within the short production times required to fulfill key contracts and meet market demands.

TVonics, a UK-based manufacturer of digital TV set-top boxes, was looking to differentiate itself in a highly competitive market. The company aimed to offer stylish, sleek, and energy-efficient products, which required strict design criteria at the board level, particularly for form factor and power consumption. The products also needed to offer class-leading signal reception and be designed for cost-effective manufacture. Furthermore, the company set itself challenging development time scales. For instance, the MDR-200 Digital TV Receiver, a significant redesign of an existing product, was expected to go from drawing board to manufacture in just four months. As a startup with a small design team and limited resources, TVonics was in search of a cost-effective design tool that was easy to use and came with good UK support.

Omnisys Instruments, a Swedish SME specializing in the development and production of complex, high-performance hardware products for the space industry, faced significant challenges in managing design revisions and component lifecycles. The company was involved in the sequential development of several major projects for Europe’s scientific and space industry, which incorporated advanced analog, microwave, ASIC, and power electronics. The extreme conditions found beyond Earth’s atmosphere amplified the normal constraints of electronics design, necessitating careful component selection and rigorous testing of designs to ensure high reliability after deployment. It was crucial for Omnisys to ensure that only approved components were used and thoroughly prototyped and tested designs were released to manufacture.

Joe Grand, a renowned computer engineer and founder of Grand Idea Studio, was approached by the Discovery Channel in 2008 to co-host and engineer a new show, Prototype This. The show involved a team of engineers creating unique and novel prototypes for each episode, requiring skills in mechanics, electronics, materials science, and software engineering. However, the production schedules and timelines of the TV show often trumped the more thoughtful engineering processes required to design and build complex products. Most episodes were allotted only two weeks from concept to finale, with much of the team’s time spent in front of cameras, traveling, or doing interviews. As a result, Joe typically had just a few days to complete the electronics portion of the project, going from hand-built breadboard to final-ready circuit board in a matter of days.

Full Gauge Controls, a company that develops and produces digital instruments for control and indication of temperature, humidity, time, pressure, and voltage, was facing challenges with its old development process. The process was heavily dependent on prototype-based design verification, which was putting pressure on the design schedule and the design team. The traditional process involved sending a completed PCB design to a prototype manufacturer, which took approximately seven days for preparation of purchase order, production, and shipping. This process was not only costly but also often required additional prototypes for further design cycles and tests. In 2007, the company attempted to speed up the process by acquiring a rapid prototyping machine. However, the prototype boards still had to be manually assembled, which was inefficient and prone to rework. Moreover, the company had to bear the cost of maintaining the machine, which included high prices and time delay of replacement parts shipped from outside the country.

Spectrum Integrity, a company that designs ultra-high-speed digital, RF, and microwave PCBs, faced significant challenges in its design process. The company's unique design requirements necessitated a proprietary process, but it also had to interface with industry-standard component libraries and the design review processes of its clients. The company relied on a collection of specialized tools, but the native schematic capabilities in these tools were unusable. Instead, Spectrum Integrity had to use a third-party schematic tool that prevented synchronization of layout and schematic and lacked cross-probing capability. This made the process disjointed. Additionally, there was no free external viewer feature for the board designs, and no simple way to export design files. The frequent client reviews were a tedious and long process. The company had tried to streamline the process using PADS, but its schematic capture tool was similarly inadequate, and its version control was missing critical built-in functionality.

Digital Design Corporation (DDC) faced a complex challenge in designing a system capable of recording, processing, and analyzing video image data. The design requirements were demanding, including the need to withstand extreme temperatures and environments typical of military and rugged industrial applications. The system also had to cope with noisy power supplies, high G-forces, and vibration, all within a compact size. The design process required close collaboration among various disciplines, including system, schematic, board, mechanical, chip, firmware, and software design. The high frequencies involved in modern digital designs necessitated a broad experience base and high-powered tools. DDC's Video and Advanced Data Recorder (VAADR) was designed for military avionics applications, with most of its functionality residing on one controller board that interfaces with removable storage modules. The large sizes of the FPGAs used in the design presented a significant board design and layout challenge.

Large corporations are increasingly under pressure to address environmental concerns while maintaining their business operations. The challenge lies in the perceived trade-off between corporate strategies and environmental responsibility. Many organizations struggle to see the opportunities in green engineering, while others are simply confused by the numerous principles and guidelines that can differ for each industry and organizational department. For instance, electronics engineers can influence the impact of their products by adhering to various design principles such as green engineering, sustainable design, green design, or design-for-environment. These principles share the same basic rules: make it smaller, more reliable, and consume less power. However, engineers must also consider product life cycle, reusability, and how to eliminate toxic chemicals before they can start touting themselves as ‘green engineers’.

Leica Geosystems, a company known for its precision farming applications, faced a significant challenge during the development of the Leica mojoRTK, an auto-steer guidance system. The company had outsourced one of its boards to a contractor, a decision that soon proved to be a mistake. The board was returned behind schedule and failed to meet any of its design and manufacturing requirements. This left Leica Geosystems with a defunct PCB and a looming product launch. The company was faced with a critical decision: risk going back to the contractor, or overhaul the design and complete it in-house. The latter option was not going to be easy as the engineers needed to recapture the board design, translate files, and carefully recreate the PCB.

Nuvation Engineering, one of the largest independent electronic design services companies in North America, offers a wide range of design services to a diverse customer base. The company's engineering process must be predictable and repeatable to meet customers' requirements within agreed timeframes. The company has developed a set of 'best-of-breed' processes and methodologies to achieve consistently short design times. However, to enable the 'right first time' design ethos, Nuvation has in place a strong peer design review process. This process requires the company to have the best designers, tools, and methodologies that allow them to control and predict the process. The challenge was to improve its hardware development cycles and find a tool that was quick to learn, easy to use, efficient, and had IP core design re-use.

Bang & Olufsen, a renowned manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and multimedia products, faced a unique challenge in its 'ideas factory'. The 'ideas factory' is the birthplace of most of the company's electronic designs, where prototypes for the next generation of audio, visual, and mobile communication systems are created. The challenge was dealing with the multitude of options and changes that each prototype presented. Every new prototype was akin to a blank canvas, and the real test was finding the appropriate architecture for the board. Additionally, the company's unique mechanical casings presented a significant challenge for the designers. The process of changing and redesigning components, re-evaluating design media, and making trade-offs was complex and time-consuming.

AMOG Consulting, a specialist service provider to various sectors including marine construction, government organizations, and offshore oil and gas, was facing several challenges. The company needed to accelerate the simulation-to-design process in a high-technology multidisciplinary engineering environment. They aimed to improve quality by utilizing one 3-D CAD model for all engineering disciplines. The company also wanted to provide clients with more robust and advanced designs within their budgets. Another challenge was to create a bridge between CAD hydrodynamic, fluid dynamic, and structural simulations. The need for a streamlined process was evident to meet industry demands for a more robust and optimized product.